Convenience Delivered… Virtually!
In consideration of the health and safety concerns that come with having a live trade show in the Covid-19 era, Capitol conducted it’s second consecutive virtual trade show! In 2020, we had only one week’s notice that we were going into lockdown (March 2020, anyone?). Due to the short notice, we simply transitioned to using our CD Virtual Trade Show App exclusively.
For 2021 we partnered with vFairs to provide a unique digital experience with virtual booths, vendor presentations, videos, and live chat rooms. We even brought back the most exciting part of a live trade show – new product samples! Each store that registered by the early bird deadline got a box so full of samples we could barely fit them all.
Up Close with the Vendors
Our virtual show platform allowed our vendors to display their items, upload documents and videos, chat with customers, and include presentations in the show auditorium. Customers were able to browse through booths and presentations, take advantage of show-exclusive deals, talk to vendors, and even save information and videos for later.
Highlights
Over 100 vendors
Over 200 brand new items
Over $2,500 in savings on over 700 available items
11 grand prize raffles
108,870 TIP points earned
Giveaways & Prizes
The show may have been virtual, but the prizes weren’t! We love doing giveaways, so all customers who purchased during the show were included in the pool for prize drawings. An additional raffle for a local weekend getaway was drawn from just the post-show survey participants.
Prizes included:
Looking to the Future
We can’t wait to see everyone in person again for the 2022 trade show next year! Lessons learned through this year’s virtual platform will inform the development of the show going forward, possibly including an expanded virtual platform to accompany the live show. Our post-show surveys showed that while our attendees still desire in-person events, a surprising number preferred the option of a virtual trade show!
